10 Worst Games You've Ever Seen?

Here's mine :sick1:

10. Watford 0 – 3 Yeovil Town, 30/11/13 (Championship)

The *** end of the Zola era saw a succession of grim home performances which followed the same, relentless set up. Watford would start slowly, concede a goal from a set piece, then get hit repeatedly on the break. This was made worse by the fact that the Glovers were (a) bottom and (b) Ishmael bloody Miller scored.

9. Watford 0 – 0 Accrington Stanley (won 6-5 on penalties), 19/09/2006 (League Cup)

Early rounds of the league cup were something to be endured rather than enjoyed throughout the mid to late noughties, and this was arguably the nadir. Yes, it went to penalties, but for the proceeding 120 minutes, I don’t remember a single thing of note happening. Just for a laugh, here’s the team that started that game



8. Watford 2 – 1 Torquay, 07/01/1997, (Auto Windscreens Cup)

A game that’s only memorable for the snow, which didn’t appear to have fallen at all past the Dome roundabout. Played, essentially, on ice, on a pitch which had seen the third round cup game against Oxford called off a couple of days before. I have NO idea why I thought it was a good idea to go to this game.

7. Oxford 0 – 0 Watford, 13/03/1999 (Division 1)

It’s hard to believe this game was a couple of months before that glorious day at Wembley. As the ‘orns season appeared to fall apart, and Oxford team which had been ripped to bits at the Vic held them to a goalless draw which did no one any credit. The Manor Ground has forever stuck in my mind as the worst ground I’ve ever visited just a horrible crumbling concrete terrace with nothing to recommend it.

6. Watford 0 – 1 Sheffield Wednesday, 14/12/2013 (Championship)

Franco Zola’s last game in charge was just hopeless. It was cold, it was awful, and Diego Fabbrini was the only glimmer of hope. The internet tells me that Connor Wickham scored the winner in the 24th minute. It doesn’t do justice to a performance which was grim to the extreme.

5. Watford 1 – 4 Millwall, 01/01/2002 (Division 1)

A game notable only for Neil Harris’ feel good scoring on his return from testicular cancer, the peerless bsad.org tells me that Ramon Vega was sent off and Heidar Helguson scored. Perhaps my feelings were clouded by the epic hangover I had, but this was – in hindsight – an appropriate way to start a year in which the club flirted with disaster.

4. Reading 4 – 0 Watford, 09/01/2009 (Championship)

After the arrival of Brendan Rodgers, he attempted to reshape Aidy Boothroyd’s direct style of football into something a little prettier. But having been at one extreme, the team went to the other. A performance at the Mad Stad where the Hornets dominated possession, but did nothing with the ball. My memory tells me that the teams focus became a little less tiki-taka after this game, with the Tommy Smith-Tamas Priskin partnership working wonders up front.

3. Watford 0 – 1 Crystal Palace, 27/05/2013 (Championship)

Arguably the biggest game in the clubs history, and they froze. The graceless Holloway had shown a couple of months earlier he knew how to stop the ‘orns playing, and Palace did the same at Wembley, restricting the free scoring golden boys who appeared to freeze on the big stage.

2. Watford 0 – 1 Sheffield United, 28/11/2006, (Premier League)

I’d argue this was the worst televised game of the modern era. Settled by a goal scored by Danny Webber who was at least 2 yards offside, this was an eyesore of a football game. The only good that came of it was that it’s evidence to puncture the hype that the Premier League is the greatest, most exciting league in the world.

1. Wimbledon 5 – 0 Watford, 04/12/1999 (Premier League)

I hate Selhurst Park. A large part of that hatred is down to this game. The hot chocolate I drank before the game wasn’t hot, and didn’t appear to contain chocolate. The burger was barely cooked and disgusting. And the football played against welly wearing Egil Olson was awful. A game without a single redeeming feature. To add insult to injury, the (proper) Dons (not to be mistaken with the Franchise in Milton Keynes) were relegated with the Hornets at the end of the season.

 

I struggle to think of many worse than that.

 

Watford 1 - 5 Palace under Lewington was bad. Andy Johnson was smiling a lot.

I also remember travelling to Scarborough for an FA Cup game under Roeder. Freezing, standing on a muddy hill and no shots on goal from memory.

 

Game aside it was a great day out.

 

My first ever Watford match, it was truly dire.

I'd volunteer the first leg of the Play off semi vs Hull. Strange sending off for Eustace, strange disallowed goal, crap day.

 

Agreed, but if I remember correctly the following week we were dumped out of the FA Cup at home to Birmingham in what I would consider just as bad.


Others on my list that have not yet been mentioned:

1-4 Shrewsbury 1991 FA Cup - A bad day during a very bad season.

0-3 home to Sheffield Utd, April 2002 - near the end of Vialli's reign, I remember it particularly as I left on about 75 minutes which is the earliest I've ever left a match.

1-5 home to Palace, January 2004(?) - middle of Lewington's reign, just didn't turn up that day and was depressing.

0-4 away to Sheffield Wednesday December 2001 - another Vialli offering, the league performances were not up to much but we were doing very well in the league cup right up to this game, we took a large following that night.

0-3 home Barnsley, April 2008 - we started the season so well under Boothroyd then stuttered spectacularly but even with mixed results we came to a game in hand against relegation threatened Barnsley where a win would have put us top again with just a handful of matches left. We were utterly devoid of ideas and inspiration and instead of using the match to springboard auto-promotion we stuttered to the play-offs by the skin of our teeth.

 

I actually forgot about the 3-0 loss at Hull in the league when Kabba got sent off. The Brum FA Cup game was grim, agree with that.

 

Watford 1-4 Huddersfield on the last day of last season. A game which started promisingly with young Alex Jakubiak very nearly scoring after two minutes, the game tailed off and I saw the worst second half display I've ever seen. I almost cried after that game - not because we lost, but because of the sheer lack of effort displayed by anyone. In fact, our best player that day was probably Samba Diakite. That's right, I said it.

 

it was a brilliant day and night and as with a number of weekend aways only spoiled by the match

 

Lewington's last season Millwall at home. we huffed and puffed without ever looking like scoring. They were rubbish but hit us on the break twice, a result that kept them up I think.... Watching Ardley and Cox try to track back was just ridiculous.

Edit: I've got this all wrong, I'm obviously mixing my games up. This was under Aidy and no Cox or Ardley.

 

Also, Zola's first game in charge was at home to Wycombe in the League Cup was the least entertaining game I have ever been to. It was unusual because I don't remember the last time when League Cup games were played on a Saturday (this was a week before the league started that season). Anyway I remember it was the first appearance of Abdi, Vydra and Pudil (the latter went off after about five minutes). 0-0 at full-time, with one shot on target in the whole game, if I remember correctly (a Wycombe shot). And then, in the last minute of the second half of extra-time, none other than Chris Iwelumo bundled in the winning goal in front of an unenthusiastic Rookery Stand. I think we played 4-3-3 that day.

As an aside, I seem to remember that the club only sold tickets for the Rookery End that day; the Rous and Home section of the Vicarage Road stand were closed for that game.

 

the first three that pop into my head are

Newcastle 2 Watford 0 21/11/92 (Div 1)

It rained and rained, David Holdsworth got sent off for two silly yellows (not retreating 10 yards and kicking the ball away) it rained, we were rubbish, it rained, I had knacked my knee at the B&B in Whitley Bay that morning, it rained and bloody rained.

Brighton Away early 90s, Goldstone Ground

I don't remember details other than it was sh*t, freezing cold and we weren't allowed to leave early. Loads tried but we were all refused, a couple of people tried to get thrown out but were threatened with arrest by a funseeking copper with the hump

Watford 0 Coventry 1 6/10/84 (Div 1)

It was cold, it was wet, the football was atrocious, there was one shot on target all game. We got soaked by a car going through a puddle near Bushey Arches. I spilled most of a pint in my lap after the game.

 

My least favourite:

Watford 1-4 Huddersfield (last season)

Probably the most gutless, disinterested performance I've seen from a Watford team. First time I've ever left a game early. Should have been the end of Sannino right there and then.

Watford 0-3 Liverpool (06/07)

Completely steamrollered from the first to last minute. Everything about the way we played cried desperation. There's obviously no shame in losing to one of the better Liverpool teams in recent memory, but it was quite alarming how amateur we looked. Our tactics were painful - I don't know why we bothered with a midfield, because we never used it.

Watford 1-3 Palace (09/10)

Crucial relegation six pointer, but we didn't show up at all. And it was against Palace, which obviously makes everything worse.

 

You might be thinking of Doyley's testimonial against Spurs, Pudil went off injured after a few minutes. I remember Vydra working ridiculously hard in that Wycombe game, throwing his entire body to try and block a clearance from the keeper.

 

I dunno , 5-0 on Boxing day at Fulham minus any alcohol was pretty painful

 

Stuffed 4-1 by spuds in the fa cup semi after being forced to play an amateur Plumley in goal

 

I was just about to post that , what a fantastically disappointing let down that day was

 

I watched that from the upper rous. The lower was closed as was the family stand. Wycombe had the usual away section and I guess the Rookery was open if you were in it!

 

1-2 Weeds last game of the 12/13 season

So close, especially after Cardiff did half the job for us

 

You may be right about that. I was sitting in more or less the same seat for both games. I remember Pudil going off injured in one of them but was back the next week.

 

Watford away to Fulham L 5-0. Freezing cold wind coming off the Thames. Utterly miserable.

Watford away to Palace L 4-0. Freezing cold. Pouring down with rain so feet were soaking. Sitting in the home end. Utterly miserable.

 

I listened to that on line in the US. One game I'm glad I missed.

 

I remember that, Big Chris looked like he wanted to miss it from one yard out, and almost managed it. Remember pointing out my mate that the blonde haired guy was pretty lively (as we now know it was Vydra playing RW)

 

Forgot my coat for that one so stood by the tea hut the whole game watching our lot scrapping with the old bill

 

I should say, all of those games I posted are ones I went to/saw on telly box - which is why the Fulham 5-0 & Palace 4-0 ones aren't there

 

Yep that one sticks in my mind as well.

After the disappointment of 84 I was convinced we would go all the way and win the cup that year 87.

Long slow journey up the motorway in and old banger (but full of optimism), lunch of burgers and beer is some **** hole some where on route to Villa Park. Get in the ground, lots of excitement......whistle goes ...... 11 mins and 12 mins (according to t'interweb) bang bang two nil down ...game over.

Endure the remaining 80 minutes or so followed by long dreary drive home in sullen silence for the most part!

Top day :]]

 

Not sure about dates but
the two fa cup away games at Newcastle when replays weren't limited. Twice in 10 days I went there and both were 0-0.
Scum away mid nineties. Both desperate for points. Horrible game. Both went down.
Losing at home to Leicester to be relegated. Both parents were in hospital at the time with heart problems
Most games in the early and mid nineties. The worst period I've ever seen
Palace play off final. Never been more gutted. We did nothing
Sunderland away. England in RWC final so they moved kick off to 12. Lost 3-1 and Gary Porter had two excellent goals disallowed.
Sunderland away. Stuck on A1. Arrived just before halftime, handed my £5 over to get in when there was a big cheer. Is that 1-0 I said to the steward? No that's 3 and that's Gabbiadini's hat trick
Any loss to the scum
Grimsby at home. The begin of the end for Petchey

 

Can't think of any other game that compares to how bad I felt after losing to Palace at Wembley in 2013. It was the whole Palace end jumping all game while we were sat there getting a tan for two hours that got to me more than anything, pathetic.

 

"Scum away mid nineties. Both desperate for points. Horrible game. Both went down. "

I got a pasting after that match by a bunch 1980s throwbacks who ran out of a pub. Only time in my life I've been given a proper going over. Some of my teeth were wobbly for days!

 

Any of those crappy defeats away and home to the scum.
Away to Northwich Victoria in the cup. I was a nipper and we were visiting relatives up north so went with my dad. Thought we would win easily Doh!

 

Gabbiadini , theres a name of someone who used to have loads of fun every time he played us

 

I also remember that even Richard Short sounded bored when announcing Big Chris as the goalscorer.

 

Watford 0-1 Nottingham Forest 24.9.11

Granted this was Dyche in his infancy as a manager, but boy was he ****. Our game plan of hoofing it to the corners/sides (specifically Yeates and Forsyth) was sussed out by Forest within the first ten minutes and by me in the first 20 (I was a young kid then). Forest kept on dealing with every single hoof and the worst thing was that Dyche had no plan B. He just kept on using the same dead tactic with the hope that Yeates/Forsyth would somehow be able to beat their midfield/defence. Things were already looking horrific for us as we were still reeling from Mackay and co's evacuation (best word to use now we know the situation) and that 18th place just seemed like we were there because the other teams hadn't found their mojo yet. When Ishmael Miller scored at the Rookery and went berserk against us (and quite rightly after we were booing him), things went berserk in the SW corner where I was. Two were arrested for smashing bottles and trying to give it to Miller and it was just a sorry sight that epitomised the club's situation at that time.

Yes I might have seen worse performances (play off final amongst others) and missed worse ones (3-0 loss to Yeovil), but thanks to the sheer tactical "performance", that remains one of the worst Watford matches I've seen.

 

Right up there for me.

My Dad had died earlier in the week and I thought in my mind that we'd beat them for him (he was a season ticket holder).

What happen, Neil Cox gets sent off, as you say Jumbolina, Johnson was doing a lot of smiling, and we got stuffed!

Huddersfield away in 1998/99 was pretty dire too - lost 2-0 and I can't remember us having a shot!

I'm sure there were plenty of dire matches I saw in the early 70's as we were generally cr@p. In fact in 1971/72 we went something like 10 home games without scoring!

 

As bert has previously posted numerous 1-0 defeats to the pub team in the late '70s and early to mid '80s,especially the one at KR when Poskett scored but it was disallowed as the incompetent ref (father of Probert?) had awarded us a free kick!

Hard to disagree with Palace at Wembley but for some reason I still remember a 3-0 home defeat to Leyton less Orient in '82 (?) That was really dismal and I think I came home and set fire to the programme!